Wine tasting and auction Saturday

SURVIVAL MODE--How did you handle the heat wave last weekend? If you were outside, I hope you slathered up in sun screen and didn't stay out there too long, as it was hot, hot, hot! It was 92 in the shade at our house and time to kick on the AC and hide in the basement as far as I was concerned. However, at the start of this work week, we actually had some moisture fall on us and I'm sure my lawn was happy to get the drink and with everything so bone dry, we welcome any kind of dampness we can get.

SPECIAL DAYS--Those celebrating birthdays from Sept. 11-17 are Frank Bosch, Brittanie Helms-Lampitt, Rex Gilbertsen, Miya Kerstetter, Jacob Hoven, Conner Parker, Roger Reed, Dick Snyder, Lori Bergseng, Jim Spitzer, Penny Paulsen, Gerry Brennan, Rhonda Heiner, Korina Hoven, Wade Cothren, Samantha Pedersen and Naomi Pedersen. Hope all of you have wonderful birthdays!

Those celebrating anniversaries this week are Quin and Christeena Bassi, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. John Hoven Jr., Mike and Samantha Wright, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Prestegard, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Danielsen, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Bergseng, Gwen and Arve Ronninghaug, Scott and Jenny Pedersen and Adam and Samantha Pedersen. Here's wishing all of you wonderful memories for your wedding anniversaries!

SPEAKING OF BIRTHDAYS--It looks like we'll have another member to add to our birthday list and the Pedersen family in the months ahead, as Adam and Samantha Pedersen are expecting once again. Little Miss Bailey Pedersen will be welcoming a new baby sister into her family in their home back in Virginia, so it looks like Grandpa Mark Pedersen will be buying more pink things in the near future.

MULES RULE--It was an unusually warm night for the first game of the season last Friday when the Mules stomped on the Toutle Lake Ducks with their 36 to 6 victory. The team is small in numbers but we hope they can keep strong, play smart with few penalities, fumbles or interceptions and they'll have a shot at more wins. Their next game is this Friday, Sept. 12 in Napavine. Go Mules!

WINE TASTING--The annual Friends of Skamokawa's Wine Tasting and Auction event will be held Saturday at the Skamokawa Grange Hall from 6:30-10 p.m. They hope you'll come out and bid on some great items and have a good time, snacking and sampling the great food, provided by Jack and Jill Catering of Skamokawa and sipping eight great wines, as well as various beers or other non-alcoholic beverages. They are pleased to have Brian McClain of McClain Auctions offering to donate his time so kudos to him for once again supporting our community and bringing his expertise to the hall. We hope to see some more bidding wars going on, as those can get quite lively and with a yacht cruise for 12, dinner for eight at Crippen Creek Farm, a Cannery Pier Hotel stay in Astoria and fantastic hand-blown glass by local artist Kyle Gribskov and more, there are sure to be some folks vying to be the winners of those fabulous items and others as well. Remember, admission tickets are cheaper if you purchase them prior to the event. While you're buying your tickets, you might even want to think about buying a round trip ticket for a ride on the Wahkiakum trolley which leaves the Elochoman Marina at 5:30 p.m. and Skamokawa Vista Park at 6 p.m. For your entertaiment, Mr. Jeff Fox will be playing the piano for you and his wife, Jody, will be singing a couple of tunes as well. Again, this is a fun, adult evening and the members of the FOS certainly hope to see you there.

TWO MORE THINGS--The Sons of Norway will be hosting their usual second Saturday of the month Bingo games at the Norse Hall with the doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games at 6 p.m. Cards are $5 each and cash prizes will be awarded. Also, starting today, several members of the class of 1967 will be at campsite number 7 for a little camp-out fun and they invite you to stop by to say hello, with a potluck dinner planned for Saturday evening.

OKTOBERFEST--I was a bit surprised to see that the "Drop Anchor Brewery" was going to hold its first Oktoberfest on the exact same day as the Wine Tasting, as there are already three other things going on that day and unfortunately we can't be everywhere at once. With no other big events happening next weekend, or even the weekend after that, I sure wish it could have been delayed to one of those other Saturdays, but that's the way it goes: feast or famine it seems.

AG COURSE--Are you interested in learning how to get started on your own little farm or garden area, or are you already into it but are realizing you could use a helping hand on how to make things more profitable or sustainable? This course offered by the WSU Wah. Co. Extension office will be just what you need to show you how to get the most out of your land. This course, set to begin Sept. 24, will offer many guest speakers from successful farmers to bankers to accountants and is for the brand new farmer or even the already seasoned farmer as often you'll find tax breaks or new resources that are out there. The course costs $100 for eight weeks and will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6-8:30 p.m. at the new Cathlamet Community Center. Contact Carrie Backman at 795-3278 for more information.

KAYAKING--We've had some gorgeous weather and more is still on the way they say, so if you haven't taken a Columbia River Kayaking tour yet, you've still got some time to do so. This Saturday they are having a North Shore Beginners Tour, and then the following day, Sept. 14, they will be holding a Grays Bay tour. Next Saturday and Sunday there will be a Price Island beginners tour and then a Wild Life Refuge Tour, so with plans for tours every weekend until Oct. 12, you've still got a little time and several options to choose from before the season comes to an end. You can book a trip by calling, 360-747-1044 or check out their website for further details.

NEW ITEMS--If you haven't been to the Skamokawa Store lately, you might not know that they are carrying our local goat cheeses, fresh from the Farmstead Creamery here on SR 4. There are several varieties to choose from and they are all real tasty! Also available there now, is one of my favorite snacks: "Hot Mamas"--yum!

GRANGERS MEET--The Skamokawa Grangers met last Monday evening and discussed how things went at the fair, as well as our big fund raiser this year: Our holiday gift basket worth $300. With the addition of several nice items from the Duck Inn and the Skamokawa Store, as well as a $25 gift certificate from the Cathlamet Market for your turkey or ham, and a gift certificate for a fresh baked holiday pie from Twin Gables B & B owner, Kathleen Morgain, it's going to be a really terrific basket of things! Grangers will be out selling tickets and they are a $1 apeice or six for $5. The drawing will take place on Dec. 13 when we have our holiday dinner, which will take place as long as the weather is decent.

SYMPATHIES--We offer our deepest sympathies to Jonnie (Lawson) Knowles as she lost her daughter, Brandi last week to cancer. She had fought long and hard against this dreaded disease and we truly feel for Brandi's children and all the rest of her family members and closest friends.

OUT OF THE PAST--This week back in 1944, it was not a real nice week with early fog and mist in the mornings and horrible stormy, wet weather for a couple of days before the last day of the week turned out nice. However, at the beginning of that week, the woods were closed due to high fire danger, so the rains that followed were most welcome by the loggers. Carol Everest Pedersen got word from her husband, Krist, that he would be coming home soon as the cannery where he'd stored all his gear in Cordova, Alaska, had burned down. This was certainly devastating news. Helen Anders was hostess to the Business and Professional Women's Club ( B.P.W.) that week and they had a very nice dinner and meeting there. "Desert Song" was one of the shows featured at the theater in town that week. There was a 4-H fair that week and Grandpa Ralph Everest had raised $180 for it by selling raffle tickets. News clippings that week featured a picture and story of seaman first class, Robert Didricksen of Cathlamet, who was in the Coast Guard. According to Vice Admiral R. Waesche, he was cited for displaying outstanding courage and devotion to duty, during a serious fire that followed explosions in Pearl Harbor. He was the son of Mrs. Petra Didricksen of Puget Island. Pvt. Einer A. Olsen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Amandus Olsen of Puget Island, got word that he was now being stationed in New Guinea. He had been training in the cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas and had then been sent to Ford Ord, CA prior to going overseas. The Everests walked to the Wests' home and that evening it was so nice and Albert and Pearl West were there with their new baby, Susan, who Grandma said was "just lovely" and they also enjoyed a nice dinner along with the nice visit.

In 1949, the week began dry and hot with high humidity, but on the fifth and sixth day, it not only poured down rain, it also hailed and blew like crazy before turning nice on the last day of that week. However, the weather here was nothing compared to the weather that hit the Plains States as a cold front came in and it was below freezing in much of that area with heavy frost occurring. On the east coast, storm warnings with high winds were being posted, while Texas was scorching hot. The Butlers let the Everests take a lot of pears from their place, and while Grandma Elsie took some home to eat fresh, son-in-law, Leon Healy was nice enough to can a whole bunch of them for her as well. That week, the Elochoman Grange celebrated their 39th birthday with a party held on Sept. 13. The Everests went to the big doings with the Bunns and everyone had a nice time. Later in the week, Grandma Elsie and daughter Carol headed to the home of George and Ruby Everest where they helped can fish and a variety of fruit. After all their hard work, they enjoyed dinner out at the Rainbow Cafe.

In 1964, the week was mostly nice with cooling temperatures in the evenings and then turning wet and nasty on the last day of the week. Cathlamet played Knappa in a Saturday night football game and we won 33 to 26. Sharon Rich Ellison, the widow of the late Norman Ellison, gave birth to a baby boy on Sept. 13, Norman Jonas. Born in Skamokawa in 1895, Mrs.Agnes Christian passed away that week at the age of 69. She had been a long time cook at the Skamokawa Grade School, working there for 17 years. Her husband, Clarence (Buck) survived her as did two daughters, Mrs. Laurice Richardson and Mrs. Carol Quigley of Skamokawa, and one stepson, John Christian and a sister, Mrs. Edna Peterson of San Francisco, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren. At the Elochoman grange meeting that week, it was decided that the new well pump and the new furnace would be paid off.

All this according to Grandma Elsie Everest's diaries.